'The Secret'

Two women on a metro seat raise their hands, shield their faces and exchange what

may be a dee[ secret or just what they believe to be serious gossip, while the woman,

right, appears to want to disengage from their enterprise in a scene that could almost

be taken from an animated book of parody. Your ratings, critiques and observations are

invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly, very critically, or just wish to make a

remark, please submit a helpful and constructive comment; please share your

photographic knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! john

Excellent capture, perfectly  framed, composed  image with nice  contrast.

In every post I aim to show a little 'truth', which it may take the manner of composition, tonality, or just to showing the quirks and foibles of human nature as here.

I'm so glad you feel I've succeeded; thanks for letting me know.

john

John (Crosley)

They're probably saying - "watch out, that guy with camera might be a terrorist"

either that, or - "Maybe we'll be in the paper tomorrow"

Great shot, as always.

"As Always' are pretty big shoes to fill when posting 'street' for discerning raters and critics like yourselves.

I have, for every photo posted, roughly 500 to 1,000 nonposted photos, and sometimes the competition is tough in my mind with what might be great photos (in my mind) getting passed over because they don't show so well in thumbnail and thus won't survive initial rating, or they're just too esoteric for the common rater and ratings certainly will get pulled down, way, way, down, by those who 'don't get the point' so posting for rating and critic involves some compromises.

Not always though, as I've posted some pretty 'risky stuff' only to get my critical ears bashed in, and other times to great acclaim -- and I don't always get the secret which is which until far too late, at least to make a difference in choice of postings candidates.

We are photographic 'mothers' and our photos are our 'children' and often we overlook their defects because they seem prodigious in one or another aspect, even if others focus only on the defect . . . . . tant la vie.

I got an important critique the other day 'The IS UGlY! stated by a long and valued rater. and I truly took his evaluation to heart.  It took courage after a series of mostly positive ratings to post one so negative, but that gave it more oomph  I truly paid attention.

I don't know what these women were thinking except I'm pretty sure they thought I was overhearing them, and that was something they didn't want.   No worries about newspapers -- local blats haven't enough enterprise to send a photographer onto the metro to take photos, so no reasonable worry they'd turn up in the front pages.

They just wanted their privacy and got closer, closer and ultimately this close.

But look at the other woman . . . . trying her best to disengage. 

Without her, in my mind, this photo would be nothing . .  . as always, it's the contrast.

And the face(s).  (even if hidden).

Best to you both.

With great thanks.

john

John (Crosley)

Great timeless street image! This kind of images are valuable and will stand the test of time!

For me, shooting street, timeless depends on catching the rare 'moment' which seldom presents itself, then being able to capture it without great disruption (unless of course it's a 'momentous capture, in which case, I'll throw caution to the winds).

For instance, these women were aware of me and my cameras, and may have been confusedly taking 'no chances' that my cameras would somehow 'overhear' them and their 'secret(s)' but can you imagine what 'secrets' they had that merited such secret discussion?  They were, in my opinion, just gossips, who wanted to keep their gossiping private, even from their recoiling seatmate, right.

Best you and welcome to a wonderful body of commenters, here.  

john

John (Crosley)

My eyes now have been opened.

Sometimes in thie thick of going through thousands and tens of thousands of photos, a very good to excellent photo will look very much like so many others that I've seen I'll almost pass it over, or even choose a different frame rather than the GREAT frame (as here).

Bad mistake.

Raters often make bad mistakes, but seldom.

Here, raters were correct, and I submit that I was slow to see the 'truth' of this photo because of personal reasons from having seen so many metro scenes unfold before me that i was not sure this was so exceptional, but my eyes have been opened.

Thanks raters for letting me know that this has that 'je ne said quoi' that is the mark of a better photo with staying power. and stands out in the crowd.

john

John (Crosley)

Everyone deserves to have their name spelled correctly, and I fault myself for not having double checked the spelling of yours; I do need glasses for close up work and a double 's' does give me trouble so please excuse my error in spelling your name wrongly.  

I'll try not to repeat that error.  Your name is the YOU that you present to the world, and I regret having erred with the accuracy of its spelling until this late moment and the apparent disrespect that apparently represented.

I strive for accuracy in all I do, and deeply regret my error.

Please accept my apologies. 

john

John (Crosley)